Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, 31 December said that while India is preparing for the world’s largest vaccination programme against COVID-19, caution against the virus should not be relaxed.
Speaking at the foundation-stone laying ceremony of a new All India Institue of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Rajkot in Gujarat via videoconferencing, PM Modi said that while the mantra of 2020 was ‘Swasth hi sampada hai’ (health is everything), the mantra for the new year should be ‘dawai bhi, kadaai bhi’ (vaccination with caution).
“The number of new cases of COVID19 infection in the country are decreasing now. We are preparing to run the world’s largest vaccination program in the next year,” he said, as quoted by ANI.
“'Swastha hi sampada hai', the year 2020 has taught us this well. It has been a year full of challenges,” he added.
PM Modi said that India has emerged as the nerve centre of global health and that in 2021, India's role in healthcare will have to be strengthened.
“Earlier, I said, ‘Dawai nahi toh dheelai nahi’. Now, I am saying ‘Dawai bhi aur kadaai (caution) bhi’. Our mantra for the year 2021 is ‘Dawai bhi aur kadaai bhi’,” PM Modi said.
PM Modi also remembered the health workers and said that the last day of the year is to pay tribute to them.
‘Stay Away from Rumours Against Vaccination’
Taking a jibe at the Opposition, PM Modi said that ‘rumours’ are being spread in the country lately way too quickly.
“In our country, rumours spread quickly. Different people for their personal gains or due to irresponsible behaviour spread various rumours. Maybe rumours will be spread when vaccination begins, some have already begun,” he said.
“I appeal to the people of the country that fight against COVID-19 is the one against an unknown enemy. Be careful about such rumours and as responsible citizens refrain from forwarding messages on social media without checking,” PM Modi said, as quoted by ANI.
PM Modi’s comments on vaccine come just a day after the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) in the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) met on Wednesday to consider the Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) request of Pfizer, Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech Pvt Ltd, following which it was decided that the SEC will convene again on 1 January 2021.
(With inputs from ANI)
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